The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-13
now LAWS ARE MADE.

The Processes Incident to the Introduction,
Passage and Formulating of Law.
Special TO the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, Feb 13-It is an interesting
thing to trace the course Of bill in Congress
from the time it is first introduced until it be-
comes law and is placed on the statute book.
The first thing in order is to secure some Sena-
tor or Representative who is sufficiently inter
ested in it to introduce it. In the Senate this is
q comparatively easy matter for the Senator
who takes it in hand, and he has no trouble in
obtaining the floor for that purpose. In the
House he has q hard struggle to ''catch the
Speakers eye," and when that is done he sends
to the Clerks desk and has read the title of the
proposed bill The Speaker quickly catches the
purport of the bill, and refers it to the committee
in charge of that branch of legislation. Then it
is docketed on the books of the committee, and
in due course of time the committee takes it up,
and IT, in their judgment it is meritorious, it is
ordered reported favorably to the House. and it
is placed on the calendar. In all probability
there are several hundred bills ahead Of it on
the calendar and it has to wait its turn, unless
the member who introduced it has sufficient in
| fuence and knowledge of parliamentary affairs
| to have it given precedence in some of the many
| ways known to the older and more experienced
and if he succeeds in getting it considered, and
it s passed, it is sent to the Senate where, after
| being read oy title, as in the House, it is re-
| ferred to its appropriate committee, and in due
/ course of time it finds its way to the
| Senate calendar There it sticks until, some
| day, motion is made to take up the House bills
| and clear the calendar. II it is successful in
passing the Senate. it is then signed By the pre-
siding officer and the House notified of it's pass
| age ana signature The bill, after being hand
| somely engrossed parchment, goes to the
| President for his approval or disapproval He
! refers it to the department. affected by it, where
| it is examined and reported upon. If favorably
considered, and there appears to be no objection
| on the part of the executive. the President
signs it aud notifies the house where it originated.
| The parchment copy is then sent to the State
| Department, where it goes into the records d.
vision There it is codified, and certified copy,
| which, of course has been very carefully com
! pared with the original goes to the government,
| printing Office. where sufficient number of cop
| les are printed and circulated among the persons
| concerned. The parchment copies kept on
| file IN the State Department for reference; and
even after all the care that has been taken many
errors are discovered and corrected in the various
hands through which the law passes in the State
| Department before it takes it's place the stat
| ute book and becomes part Of the laws of thu
| land. In the record division of the State De
Dartment are all the parchment copies of the
| laws passed by Congress since the organ zatior
| of the government, and they are preserved with
| great care by the custodian